Intersection Improvement Plans Discussed

Residents and officials from both Lower Southampton and Northampton filled an informational meeting held by PennDOT Wednesday night to discuss possible improvements that could be made to the intersection of Maple Avenue (Route 213) and Bridgetown Pike.

The group was presented with three different options on how to improve the forked intersection which is used by over 20,00 cars on a daily basis. The plans were devised by by traffic engineers at Michael Baker Jr. Inc., the firm that is working on the project for PennDOT and also on the .

The first option presented used the stripped center island on eastbound Maple Avenue as a 100-foot-long left turn lane. A timed left turn arrow would be added to the traffic signal. This option would not relieve most of the eastbound Maple Avenue traffic delays and could add problems to the westbound lanes of roadway, officials said.

Officials presented a second option that would change the current forked intersection into a more conventional T-intersection. Bridgetown Pike would be moved slightly up the road and placed in the middle of the grassy Lower Southampton-owned peninsula that currently sits empty. This option would have an impact on the driveways of several Lower Southampton and Northampton homeowners who live along Bridgetown Pike, according to traffic engineers Fernando Mascioli Mascioli and Chris Stanford.

The third option - and the one PennDOT is giving the most support to - is installing a one-laned, low-speed traffic roundabout. The roundabout would be placed in the grassy peninsula and not take up as much room as the poorly designed, high-speed, larger circles that dot New Jersey. The roundabout, which, according to data, would reduce the risk of serious crashes, would force some driveways along the Bridgetown Pike to be extended to meet the redesigned road, Stanford told the audience, who voiced concerns about the roundabout.

Matt Johnson, a resident of Northampton, was concerned about light pollution at the roundabout and how it could affect his home. Traffic engineers told Johnson the roundabout would not have traffic lights and any fixtures used to illuminate the roundabout would be low impact.

Lower Southampton resident Bill Lowney, who has lived with his wife just off Bridgetown Pike for 40 years, feels the roundabout is “unnecessary” and a waste of taxpayer money. Lowney feels the money could be better spent improving parts of Bridgetown Pike that are accident prone.

Northampton Township Manager Robert Pellegrino attended the meeting and reviewed the three different options.

The intersection upgrade - if approved - would happen at the same time PennDOT replaces the Maple Avenue bridge. Bridgetown Pike would remain open during the construction, Stanford said.

Due to the preliminary nature of the improvement plans, a total cost has not been tallied by PennDOT yet. If approved, the project would be paid for through a mix of state and federal funds.